Woman wins payout after boss said she used menopause as ‘excuse’ | UK News

A woman who was told by her ‘dinosaur’ boss that she used the menopause as an ‘excuse for everything’ has won more than £37,000 in compensation.

Karen Farquharson, who worked at engineering firm Thistle Marine for 27 years, suffered heavy bleeding, anxiety and brain fog as a result of the menopause, which meant she occasionally worked from home.

But company founder Jim Clark dismissed her medical problems as ‘aches and pains’ and told her to ‘just get on with it’, an employment tribunal heard.

After complaining to the company about the ‘disdain and disgust’ with which she had been treated, her access to the company accounts system was cut off and she was no longer able to work remotely.

The mother-of-two resigned from her role and took the firm to the tribunal.

It heard Mrs Farquharson, 49, ‘had observed that Jim Clark had an issue with employees taking holidays or being off ill’ during her years at Thistle Marine, which is based in Peterhead, north-east Scotland.

The boss would ‘often refer to employees who were off sick as “snowflakes”‘, the tribunal heard.

In December 2022, Mrs Farquharson worked from home for two days, first due to heavy snow and then because of her menopausal bleeding.

A day later, she arrived in the office at around 2pm.

The hearing was told: ‘She passed Jim Clark in the corridor. He spoke to her in a sarcastic tone: “Oh I see you’ve made it in!”

‘(Mrs Farquharson) began to explain why she hadn’t been in the office earlier that week. She mentioned the snow and also that the day before she had heavy menopausal bleeding.

‘Mr Clark gave her a disgusted look and then walked away towards the workshop. (Mrs Farquharson) was very upset and angry at his behaviour and the implication that she did not have good reason to have not been at work earlier in the week.’

When she confronted him later over his actions, the panel was told he responded with: ‘Menopause, menopause – a’biddy [everybody] f***ing gets it, just get on wi’ it, that’s your excuse for everything.’

The tribunal heard: ‘She told him that he had no understanding of what she was going through and she emphasised that he didn’t understand the discomfort and challenges that she faced particularly when experiencing heavy bleeding.’

But Mr Clark ‘once more dismissively mentioned the menopause, saying: “A’biddy has aches and pains.”‘

It was following that conversation that Mrs Farquharson launched her grievance to the company.

At the tribunal, Mr Clark said the remarks were ‘innocent’ and suggested his former employee had engineered the situation so she could get money for a forthcoming wedding.

Upholding Mrs Farquharson’s claims of unfair dismissal and harassment, the panel said: ‘Jim Clark can best be described a blunt, self-made man and successful businessman.

‘He no doubt has many admirable qualities but empathy for others is not among them. It became clear to us…that he has little time or respect for those, unlike himself, who are not able to work as hard or without illness as he has.’

The panel added that Mrs Farquharson ‘felt a deep senses of betrayal and upset at the way in which she had been treated by Jim Clark and the comments he had made’, and concluded they had violated her dignity.

She was awarded £37,379.56 in compensation.

Speaking afterwards, she said: ‘The stress before the tribunal was unbelievable and I know that I have gone through it and I have won, but, I have still got this anxiety and disbelief at what they did.

‘I have lost my self belief, I’ve got zero confidence now and am very untrusting now. It’s been a huge strain. It was the worst experience of my life.

‘Mr Clark, I noticed with his age, didn’t like change. He didn’t like being challenged on things and he was a dinosaur.’

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